Ealing Comedy DVD Collection - The Ladykillers/Kind Hearts and Coronets/The Lavender Hill Mob/The Man in the White Suit 1955: Amazon.co.uk: Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood, Peter Sellers, Dennis Price, Stanley Holloway, Sidney James, Alfie Bass, Marjorie Fielding, Edie Martin, John Salew, Ronald Adam, Arthur Hambling, Alexander Mackendrick, Charles Crichton, Robert Hamer, Jimmy O'Connor, John Dighton, Nancy Mitford: DVD & Blu-ray Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) The Man in the White Suit (1951) The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) Special Features: Four artcards Theatrical trailers The Ladykillers -- ratio: 1.66:1; mono Kind Hearts and Coronets -- ratio: 1.33:1; mono The Man in the White Suit -- ratio: 1.33:1; mono The Lavender Hill Mob -- ratio: 1.33:1; mono From Amazon.co.uk Four of the British film industry's best-loved comedies in one box set makes The Ealing Comedy Collection absolutely essential for anyone who has any

 passion at all for movies.

The set contains Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), The Man in the White Suit (1951) and The Ladykillers (1955). Ealing's greatest comedies captured the essence of post-war Britain, both in their evocation of a land once blighted by war but now rising doggedly and optimistically again from the ashes, and in their mordant yet graceful humour. They portray a country with an antiquated class system whose crumbling conventions are being undermined by a new spirit of individual opportunism. In the delightfully wicked Kind Hearts and Coronets, a serial killer politely murders his way into the peerage; in The Lavender Hill Mob a put-upon bank clerk schemes to rob his employers; The Man in the White Suit is a harshly satirical depiction of idealism crushed by the status quo; while The Ladykillers mocks both the criminals and the authorities with its unlikely octogenarian heroine Mrs "lop-sided" Wilberforce.

Many factors contribute to the success of these films--including fine music scores from composers such as Benjamin Frankel (Man in the White Suit) and Tristram Cary (The Ladykillers); positively symphonic sound effects (White Suit); marvellously evocative locations (the environs of King's Cross in Ladykillers, for example); and writing that always displays Ealing's unique perspective on British social mores ("All the exuberance of Chaucer without, happily, any of the concomitant crudities of his period")--yet arguably their greatest asset is Alec Guinness, whose multifaceted performances are the keystone upon which Ealing built its biting, often macabre, yet always elegant comedy. On the DVD: The Ealing Comedy Collection presents the four discs in a fold-out package with postcards of the original poster artwork for each. Aside from theatrical trailers on each disc there are no extra features, which is a pity given the importance of these films. The Ladykillers is in muted Technicolor and presented in 1.66:1 ratio, the three earlier films are all black and white 1.33:1. Sound is perfectly adequate mono throughout.

--Mark Walker The Ealing Studios Collection Vol. 1 Blu-ray Review The Ealing Studios Collection Vol. 1 Blu-ray Review The Ealing Studios Collection Vol. 1 Blu-ray Review By tweet Directors: Robert Hamer, Charles Crichton, Alexander Mackendrick Starring: Alec Guinness, Dennis Price, Stanley Holloway, Joan Greenwood, Valerie Hobson, Sid James, Alfie Bass, Cecil Parker, Michael Gough Running Time: 272 Minutes Certificate: U Ealing comedies are so wonderful aren’t they? Transporting us back to post-war Britain at a time when it seemed much easier to mix darkness and comedy. This collection of three films, each starring Alec Guinness (one of which stars him 8 times), is a reminder of the incredible talent and unique tone that British films once possessed. Not only does each film deliver the laughs and the more sinister plotlines, but they also make interesting observations on society. KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS sees a man kill his way through his estranged family in order to inherit the family title and see his mother buried in the family graveyard.

Dennis Price takes the lead as the sociopathic and righteous Louis whose chilling apathy towards his crimes could have easily hailed this as an early slasher film. The ingenuity with which Louis disposes of his kin is praise worthy and absolutely terrifying. It is Guinness though who truly makes the film as he takes on 8 different roles of many ages and both sexes. Although not completely unrecognisable, there’s a comedic charm to his doomed portrayals, and it is an incredible feet for any actor. THE LAVENDER HILL MOB, my personal favourite of the three available in this boxset, sees Guinness as Holland, a man who has worked loyally at his job for many decades. He decides it’s time to add a bit of excitement to his life by stealing the gold he is usually in charge of protecting. Seeing Holland recruit a number of average Joes to help pull-off quite an ingenious plan keeps the film enticing even when compared to violent and artillery filled modern day heist flicks. Everything here is executed with silver tongues and subtlety with a gang you really want to see succeed. THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT is the most relevant film of today, looking at the greed of corporations and the reliance on a strong economic backbone.

Guinness this time plays Sidney Stratton, a scientist who discovers how to synthesize a fabric that never gets dirty and never tears. At first he is hailed as a genious, but fearing a world that doesn’t need replacement clothes, the corporations start putting the squeeze on Sidney, as do the unions, who believe they’ll soon be out of work. Despite being very funny, the film is a tragedy in many ways, as even Sidney’s close friends turn against him. In every film Guinness is remarkable and reminds us of what a truly talented man he was. As we are fast approaching what would have been his 100th birthday (April 2nd), this is the perfect time to see three of his greatest films from one of the best studios to have ever existed. This was a time when comedies meant something, and the fact they still hold up today shows that humour is intergenerational. If you don’t already own these three, then buy the box set. [usr=5]The Ealing Studios Collection Vol. 1 is released on Blu-ray on 31st March. The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title.

Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error The Lavender Hill Mob ( 1951 ) Approved | A meek bank clerk who oversees the shipment of bullion joins with an eccentric neighbor to steal gold bars and smuggle them out of the country as miniature Eiffel Towers. Director: Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence. a list of 28 titles created 10 Apr 2013 a list of 24 titles created 07 Sep 2013 a list of 25 titles created 26 Apr 2015 a list of 22 titles created 5 months ago a list of 25 titles created 5 months ago Title: The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) 7.7/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site?

Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations. See more awards » Photos An altruistic chemist invents a fabric which resists wear and stain as a boon to humanity, but both big business and labor realize it must be suppressed for economic reasons. Director: Alexander Mackendrick Five diverse oddball criminal types planning a bank robbery rent rooms on a cul-de-sac from an octogenarian widow under the pretext that they are classical musicians. Director: Alexander Mackendrick When a millionaire practical joker dies, he divides his fortune among four heirs who must carry out his zany instructions to cash in. Director: Mario Zampi Residents of a part of London declare independence, when they discover an old treaty. This leads to the need for a 'Passport to Pimlico'. Director: Henry Cornelius A post-war housing crisis leaves a shy woman to share a house with two couples. Comic situations arise as the new roomer becomes infatuated with one of the husbands. Director: Henry Cass A barrister attempts to discourage his daughter's infatuation for a philanderer by revealing his past.

The plan backfires when the daughter's would-be father-in-law threatens to reveal the barrister's shady background. Director: Charles Saunders Scottish islanders try to plunder 50,000 cases of whisky from a stranded ship. Director: Alexander Mackendrick Volunteers take over their local passenger train service (against bus company resistance) when the government announces its closure. Director: Charles Crichton This tale of intrigue finds Valentina Cortese involved in an assassination plot. She helps the police apprehend the conspirators after an innocent bystander is accidentally killed. Director: Thorold Dickinson As they are waiting for a divorce, young movie star Malissa Farrell and famous pianist Rudy Walter have left their baby, Johnny, with a child minder in Le Vésinet. Marinette, the latter's ... See full summary » Director: Jean Boyer A distant poor relative of the Duke of D'Ascoyne plots to inherit the title by murdering the eight other heirs who stand ahead of him in the line of succession. Director: Robert Hamer When a measles epidemic forces the temporary closing of a child care center, the son of a film star and her estranged husband, a concert pianist, is mistakenly delivered to a touring musician.

Directors: Jean Boyer, Lester Fuller Stars: Audrey Hepburn, Jules Munshin, Cara Williams Edit Storyline Holland, a shy retiring man, dreams of being rich and living the good life. Faithfully, for 20 years, he has worked as a bank transfer agent for the delivery of gold bullion. One day he befriends Pendlebury, a maker of souvenirs. Holland remarks that, with Pendlebury's smelting equipment, one could forge the gold into harmless-looking toy Eiffel Towers and smuggle the gold from England into France. Soon after, the two plant a story to gain the services of professional criminals Lackery and Shorty. Together, the four plot their crime, leading to unexpected twists and turns. Written by Rick Gregory <rag.apa@email.apa.org> The men who broke the bank - and lost the cargo!

See more » Genres: 10 September 1951 (Sweden) See more » Also Known As: De l'or en barres See more » Filming Locations: Mono (Gaumont Kalee) (RCA Sound System) Color: Alec Guinness was paid £6000 ; his regular salary at this time was £25000. See more » Goofs When Holland and Pendlebury ascend the stairs drunk, Pendlebury loudly recites a piece of prose, but his lips are obviously saying something completely different. See more » Quotes [just as he is planning the robbery, Holland is told that he is being promoted to another department] Henry Holland : I'm too old to change my views now, sir. Turner : Nonsense. You're never too old to better oneself. Think of what you can do with an extra 15 shillings a week. Henry Holland : But sir, I like the bullion office. It holds all I ever wished for. Turner : The trouble with you, Holland, if I may speak frankly, is that you do not have enough ambition. When a good opportunity comes along grab it with both hands. May not occur again.

The Lavender Hill Mob DVD with Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sid James (Unrated) +Movie Reviews peterfromkanata | Kanata, Ontario Canada | 12/09/2002 (4 out of 5 stars) "This will be a short review, since I concur with the other positive comments on this classic Ealing comedy, as well as the extensive plot summary ( actually a little too extensive for people who have not seen the film ). I gave it four stars only because I consider "The Ladykillers" to be superior.As always, Sir Alec shines in the lead role, with fine support from Stanley Holloway and Sidney James, years before his "Carry On" fame. The humour here is dark and subtle, and of course there is a delightful "twist" at the end, an Ealing trade mark.I found the quality of this DVD to be more than acceptable for a 50 plus year-old film.

Some of the location scenes in London are interesting, with areas damaged by the "blitz" in World War II still very evident.So--if you like comedy with genuine wit and style ( very rare today, in the era of teen-oriented gross-out movies ), you will enjoy this one. Recommended." Black and white heist flick bathed in purple and gold Mike Stone | 08/09/2001 (4 out of 5 stars) "I'm usually not a fan of movies featuring bumbling innocents trying to do right, brought down by an endless series of accidents and mistakes. The futility of the whole exercise frustrates me, and I can't find any room for humour in the whole endeavor. "The Lavender Hill Mob" nearly falls into this trap, but thankfully doesn't. The reason it doesn't -- and it's a reason I can't go into without ruining the wonderful surprise ending -- preserves the comedy of this delightful little heist movie.It's a very subdued comedy. The word on the street led me to believe that wacky hijinks and silly shenanigans would be the order of the day. Not true. Actually, there's a lot of quiet dignity here.

Which makes the moments of action that much funnier. Alec Guinness as the mob's "boss" Henry Holland, a 20-year vet of the straight and narrow, is a desperate man, but he always does his best to maintain control in stressful situations. He screws up his face, peers (with glorious wide eyes) knowingly from behind his glasses, and does his best to understand and analyze the predicaments he finds himself in. When he's successful in that endeavor, the proceedings are funny. But when he isn't... well... they're that much funnier. Stanley Holloway plays his cohort, Pendlebury, a disgruntled manufacturer of cheap souvenirs. He's a less menacing, almost innocent Sydney Greenstreet-type, who gets roped into a situation that appears foolproof. Too bad these men aren't fools; they'd have gotten away scott free. It's their intellect that does them in. They're joined by a couple of charismatic career criminals, who may dress the part but seem more at home sipping tea than casing joints. The scene where the four men meet, while simultaneously trying to rob a payroll safe, is a wonderful moment of manners in the face of criminal activity.

A joy to watch.The giggly English schoolgirl scene (a classic) is creepy and disturbing. It's hilarious how a group made up of innocents can be turned menacing in a certain context. Combine the danger of the heights (they're at the top of the Eiffel Tower) with their high pitched giggling, and their tragic effect on the plot, and the girls turn into a dangerous phenomenon. It's quite ludicrous, and very funny. This is followed by a wonderfully surreal chase scene, in which Holland and Pendlebury chase them down via a spiraling staircase. Even though the special effects are cheap and obviously fake, it felt like a ridiculous version of Hitchcock's "Vertigo". It's combination of the stuffy Englishman, the Tower spinning around them, and a wind-whipped trenchcoat tossed overboard makes for some great fun. And the finale, a romp through a police exhibition, has a cool Keystone Cops quality to it that had me giggling with glee. Unfortunately, at times, deteriorated audio tracks and murky, fuzzy video marred some of the action.

Wading through the thick accents would have been tough enough, but when you can't hear their voices (or at worst see their lips move), understanding these men was a trial. Too bad, because what I did manage to hear was charming, witty, and terribly funny." "Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these... cookieman108 | Inside the jar... | 05/11/2005 (4 out of 5 stars) "...it might have been." In the early to mid 50's, many studios were churning out comedies, perhaps more so in an effort to get people past those old post war blues, but few did it as well or consistently as the British Ealing Studios (in my humble opinion), helped immensely by the talents of Alec Guinness...what?! Alec Guinness a comedic actor? The same Alec Guinness who starred in such serious films as The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965), and A Passage to India (1984)?

Yes, it seemed by the end of the 1950's, Guinness had pretty much dedicated himself to more serious parts, but not altogether as he later appeared in the fantastic comedy Murder by Death (1976), which I recommend to anybody in search of a truly good laugh. While many consider The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) to be one of the best of the Guinness/Ealing comedies, I'm partial to one of their later films, The Ladykillers (1955), which was recently remade by the Coen brothers and featured Tom Hanks (I've haven't seen it yet, but I heard not so good things about it). Directed by Charles Crichton (The Titfield Thunderbolt, A Fish Called Wanda), the film stars, along with Guinness, Stanley Holloway (Nicholas Nickleby, Passport to Pimlico). Also appearing is Sid James (The 39 Steps, Upstairs and Downstairs) and Alfie Bass (The Fearless Vampire Killers, Revenge of the Pink Panther).

This comedic caper begins in a tropical setting, where we meet a man named Henry Holland (Guinness), who seems quite popular probably because of the fact he's pretty free with his money. He thus begins to relate a tale to another man, taking us into a flashback that makes up the rest of the film and we learn Holland, prior to being a somewhat well to do philanthropist sort in South America, actually came from humble beginnings as in a previous life he was a mild mannered bank worker, responsible for regularly escorting gold shipments from the smelting facility (that's where they take the raw gold and turn it into bars), to the bank. His coworkers and superiors look upon him as a quiet, by the book sort with no ambition, imagination, or initiative, as `his one and only virtue is honesty'. And that's exactly the way Holland likes it...especially since he aspires to one day steal one of shipments of gold and live out his days well beyond his current means.

The only problem is, once stolen, gold bars are extremely difficult to transfer into cash...but a solution soon presents itself in the form of a new tenant to the boarding house Holland resides, one named Alfred Pendlebury (Holloway)...the name of the tenant, not the boarding house...Mr. Pendlebury just happens to operate a modest die casting business, one whose specialty is producing paperweights, one perfectly suited for Holland's needs. Soon the die is cast (so to speak), and the pieces are in place, but, as everyone knows, even the best-laid plans are subject to disaster once in the implementation stage as the human element is always the most unpredictable. As I said before, of all the Guinness/Ealing comedies, I prefer The Ladykillers most of all, probably due to the darker tone of the material and more outlandish nature of the characters, but that's not to say this film isn't of superior quality, as it won an Academy Award for best writing, story and screenplay, and earned Guinness his first nomination (Gary Cooper won for his role in High Noon).

One of things I like most about these older comedies is they don't pander to the lowest common denominator in terms of comedic content, but rather speak to the audience with respect, maintaining a consistent level of intelligence not so often seen nowadays...but that's not to say this couldn't be enjoyed by anyone. I had originally seen this film quite a number of years ago, and appreciated it for the more visual elements as opposed to last night when I enjoyed the more subtle aspects due to a general understanding one usually gains with maturity. Regardless, this is one of those films where everything works well together to bring about a wonderful story. The direction is exceptionally strong and wastes none of the films lean 81 minutes running time. Guinness is about as good as you'll ever see him, fostering a belief that he is, now and forever, the meticulous, level-headed, slightly devious character of Henry Holland (at least until his next film), but is certainly assisted (nearly upstaged) by his costar Holloway, the romantic character, yearning to express his artistic nature, stifled by the drudgery of actually having to earn a living through the mass production of tourist souvenirs.

There are any number of wonderful scenes and sequences presented throughout the film, but two come to my mind as being my favorites. One features Mr. Pendlebury moving into the boarding house where Holland lives, and Holland learning of Pendlebury's profession which sets in motion him gingerly broaching the possibility of utilizing Pendlebury's die casting business as a means to process the stolen booty. Holland and Pendlebury, both eventually on the same page, begin almost convincing each other and themselves of the very real possibility that it can be done...the other is the scene where Holland and Pendlebury go about enlisting a couple of extra, but necessary, members for the gang, as the gold shipment is too much for the two of them to handle themselves. It's not like you can put an ad out in the paper for such a thing, so they utilize a very unique method to contact prospective applicants. And there's a bonus! If you love classic movies, you'll be in for a treat...watch for the appearance of a minor character, played by a soon to be legendary actress, about three or four minutes into the film...yes, that's who you think it is...but don't blink, or you'll miss it...

Anchor Bay Entertainment provides a very clean and clear full screen (original aspect ratio) picture on this DVD, with a decent Dolby Digital mono audio. Special features include an original theatrical trailer, and an extensive Alec Guinness biography and liner notes. By the way, I heard there is a remake of this film in the works, scheduled to be released in 2006...I guess time will tell if it's any good or not, but the way I see it, what's the point? I hardly see how they could improve upon the original... Cookieman108 By the way, there is, as I write this, an Alec Guinness DVD set offered by Anchor Bay Entertainment featuring five of his early comedies, including this one, offered at a price that is cheaper than purchasing these DVDs separately, so if you're interested, it might be worth looking into...

" Ealing Comedy Collection [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Alec Guinness, Cecil Parker, Michael Gough, Ernest Thesiger, Howard Marion Crawford, Patric Doonan, Harold Goodwin, George Relph, Godfrey Tearle, Reginald Beckwith, Gabrielle Brune, Herbert Lom, Harry Fowler, Alastair Sim, Jack Warner, Jack Lambert, Douglas Barr, Vida Hope, Frederick Piper, Valerie White, Dennis Price, Valerie Hobson, Joan Greenwood, Stanley Holloway, Basil Radford, Hermione Baddeley, Paul Dupuis, John Slater, Charles Hawtrey, James Hayter, Jane Hylton, Kay Walsh, Stephen Murray, Meredith Edwards, Thora Hird, Gladys Henson, Michael Brooke Jr, Sid James, Colin Gordon, Peter Sellers, Stanley Escane, Clive Morton, Barbara Murray, Wylie Watson, Joan Harben, Jack MacGowran, Danny Green, Ian Dawson, Miles Malleson, Margaret Rutherford, William Fox, Alfie Bass, Katie Johnson, Gerald Fox, John Penrose, Sidney Tafler, Marjorie Fielding, Duncan Lamont, Nancy O'Neil, Hugh Griffith, Audrey Fildes, Cecil Rampage

, Betty Warren, John Gregson, Ewan Roberts, Philip Stainton, Joan Dowling, Arthur Lowe, Naunton Wayne, Edie Martin, John Rudling, Michael Trubshawe, Frankie Howerd, Fred Griffiths, Joey Carr, Kenneth Connor, Grace Arnold, Paul Demel, Ronald Adam, Robin Hughes, Jacques Brunius, Eugene Deckers, Audrey Hepburn, Charles Crichton, Robert Hamer, Henry Cornelius, Charles Frend, Alexander MacKendrick, Alec Guinness, Cecil Parker, Michael Balcon, Sidney Cole: DVD & Blu-ray Ealing Comedy Collection [DVD] 1 new from Â£99.99 See all buying options Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe.

Read more about DVD formats. ) Number of discs: 1 DVD Release Date: 8 Nov. 2004 Run Time: 710 minutes Product Description Product Description A collection of eight classic comedies made by Ealing Studios. In the first of the Ealing comedies, 'Hue and Cry' (1947), a bunch of crooks use a comic paper featuring stories penned by Felix H. Wilkinson (Alastair Sim) to pass on coded messages for robberies. When the comic's readership - a bunch of East End boys - discover what's going on, they go to the police. The local constabulary, however, are no help, so the plucky lads set out to foil the robbers themselves. 'Kind Hearts and Coronets' (1949) is a comedy set in the early 20th century. Young Louis Mazzini (Dennis Price) vows to take revenge on his family, the D'Ascoynes, when he learns how they disinherited his mother.

Working his way into their trust, Louis begins to bump off his distant relatives (all played by Alec Guinness) one by one - but complications set in when Edith D'Ascoyne (Valerie Hobson), the widow of his first victim, falls in love with him. In 'Passport to Pimlico' (1949), a hitherto unexploded bomb goes off in Pimlico, uncovering documents revealing that this part of London in fact belongs to Burgundy in France. An automonous state is set up in a spirit of optimism, but the petty squabbles of everyday life soon shatter the Utopian vision of a non-restrictive nation. 'The Magnet' (1950) is a gentle comedy about childhood, guilt and half-truths starring a young James Fox (then known by his real name, William Fox) as Johnny Brent, a mischievous boy who tricks a younger boy (Keith Robinson) into giving him his magnet in return for an 'invisible' clock. Having successfully obtained the magnet, Johnny immediately starts to feel guilty about his swindling behaviour.

His guilt sparks a chain of misplaced assumptions that lead to a search being mounted for the boy, who has run away after becoming convinced that he is wanted for murder. In 'The Lavender Hill Mob' (1951), which features an early cameo by Audrey Hepburn, nobody would ever suspect gold bullion delivery man Henry Holland (Guinness) of anything other than total devotion to his job. However, with the aid of fellow lodger Pendlebury (Stanley Holloway), he gathers together a gang to carry out a heist, intending to smuggle the gold out of the country by melting it down into miniature models of the Eiffel Tower. All goes well until the consignment of models becomes muddled up with another, non-golden batch... In 'The Man in the White Suit' (1951), eccentric Sidney Stratton (Guiness) is a laboratory cleaner in a textile factory who invents a material that will neither wear out nor become dirty. Initially hailed as a great discovery, Sidney's astonishing invention is suffocated by the management when they realise that if it never wears out, people will only ever have to purchase one suit of clothing.

'The Titfield Thunderbolt' (1952) tells the story of a group of villagers who, angered by British Rail's decision to close down their local branch line, make a bid to run the service themselves, making use of an antique locomotive liberated from a local museum. Finally, in 'The Ladykillers' (1955), the last of the Ealing comedies, eccentric landlady Mrs Wilberforce (Katie Johnson) believes her new lodger, Professor Marcus (Guinness), and his associates the Major (Cecil Parker), Louis (Herbert Lom), Harry (Peter Sellers) and One-Round (Danny Green) to be amateur musicians. However, they are in fact the perpetrators of a bank heist, looking to whisk their ill-gotten gains out of London. All goes well until Mrs Wilberforce is persuaded by Marcus to claim his 'trunk' from the station; it is only then that the criminal genius's carefully laid plans begin to go awry... The set also includes the documentary tribute 'Forever Ealing' narrated by Daniel Day-Lewis, featuring contributions from Stephen Frears and Terry Gilliam among others.

Customers Who Viewed This Item Also Viewed Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1 This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. DVD Â£27.95 The Alec Guinness Collection - ClassicFlix Theatrical Trailer The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) Sir Alec Guinness received his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor for his delightful performance as Henry Holland, a meek clerk who devises an ingenious plan to rob a fortune in gold bullion from his own bank. But when Henry and his odd accomplice (Stanley Holloway of My Fair Lady fame) melt the gold into souvenir Eiffel Towers to smuggle into France, their perfect crime becomes a disastrous caper of Cocney crooks, customs chaos and an ill-timed group of British schoolgirls, all leading to some of the most hilarious and unexpected surprises in criminal history.

Sidney James (of the Carry On series) and a young Audrey Hepburn co-star in this beloved Ealing Studios hit directed by Charles Crichton (A Fish Called Wanda, The Titfield Thunderbolt) that won the 1951 Academy Award for Best Screenplay. BONUS FEATURES: Theatrical Trailer The Ladykillers (1955) Sir Alec Guinness gives one of his most unforgettable performances as Professor Marcus, the mastermind of a gang of vicious bank robbers who rent a room from elderly widow Mrs. Wilberforce (Katie Johnson, winner of the British Academy Award for Best Actress). But when the dear old woman begins to meddle in their "perfect crime," the crooks (including Herbert Lom and the legendary Peter Sellers in his first major screen role) decide that she must be killed. Now after a daring heist, a runaway parrot and several cups of tea, can the most diabolical criminals in London still manage to murder one sweet old lady?

Directed by Alexander Mackendrick (The Man in the White Suit, Sweet Smell of Success), this Ealing Studios masterpiece was nominated for an Oscar for Best Screenplay and remains one of the most ruthlessly brilliant black comedies of all time. The Alec Guinness Collection presents this screen legend's classic comedies including Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Lavender Hill Mob, The Man in the White Suit, and The Captain's Paradise, and still considered to be among the greatest movie comedies ever made. BONUS FEATURES: Theatrical Trailer The Man in the White Suit (1952) Sir Alec Guinness delivers one of his most beloved performances as Sidney Stratton, an eccentric chemist who one day invents a fiber that never wrinkles, wears out of gets dirty. But when the mill owners and workers both realize that this miracle fabric will destroy their industry, Sidney suddenly becomes the most hunted man in the nation. Can a young idealist trapped between big business and mad unions find safety in science or will the future of Britain become unraveled by one extraordinary suit?

Directed by Alexander Mackendrick (The Ladykillers, Sweet Smell of Success), The Man in the White Suit received an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay and is considered by fans and critics alike as the definitive Guiness/Ealing comedy. BONUS FEATURES: Theatrical Trailer The Captain's Paradise (1953) Sir Alec Guinness is Henry St. James, captain of an international ferry boat who has discovered the secret to the perfect double life: in Gibraltar he has a British housewife, while in Tangier he is married to a hot-blooded Spanish vixen. But when the Captain becomes careless with anniversary gifts, his personal paradise sails into some very unexpected surprises. Even if he can outwit two betrayed wives, can he survive one very serious firing squad? BONUS FEATURES: The Lavender Hill Mob Remind Me The Lavender Hill Mob Alec Guinness had become an international star playing eight different characters in the Ealing Studios comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), so he decided on a change of pace for his next two films.

Last Holiday (1950), although humorous at times, was predominantly a melancholy drama and, in The Mudlark (1950), his first American film, Guinness played Disraeli to Irene Dunne's Queen Victoria; it was not a success. Wisely, he decided to return to Ealing and comedy with The Lavender Hill Mob (1951). Guinness described his timid character in The Lavender Hill Mob as a "fubsy" middle-aged bank clerk named Holland who masterminds a robbery of the gold bullion he's supposed to protect. "I see Holland as a man given to handwashing gestures," Guinness said (in Garry O'Connor's biography, Alec Guinness: Master of Disguise). "Anyone who usually does that is on the plump side so I think I ought to be slightly padded...we should somehow point the incongruity of a person like Holland seeing himself as the boss of a gang.

It might be a good way to get the right effect if he were to have difficulties in pronouncing his R's." Holland's "mob" includes an aspiring artist who creates souvenir paperweights, played by Stanley Holloway (Alfred Doolittle in the screen version of My Fair Lady, 1964), and a pair of bumbling robbers. Heist accomplished, they melt down the gold and Holloway fashions it into miniature Eiffel Tower souvenirs. The mob goes to Paris to collect their booty, only to find that several of the statuettes have been sold to some English schoolgirls on holiday. The film climaxes with a wild car chase, and an escape by the timid mastermind that's a brilliant sight gag. But it's not over quite yet.... The Lavender Hill Mob was the brainchild of one of Ealing's most original writers, T.E.B. (Thomas Ernest Bennett, known as "Tibby") Clarke. Clarke had written a newspaper humor column prior to World War II but he couldn't get in the army during the war...so he became a policeman, which gave him fresh fodder for his writing.

After the war, on staff at Ealing, Clarke had been assigned by studio head Michael Balcon to create a script for a working-class crime drama set on the docks around the Pool of London, the area of the Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge. The area includes "the City," London's financial district. While scouting the City for atmosphere, he noticed armored vans carrying bars of gold bullion, and a nondescript little man who was in charge of the transport. Clarke was intrigued with the possibilities for a comedy about that little man. Pool of London (1951) eventually became a well-regarded film, but without Clarke's involvement. He was taken off that film to develop his original idea into The Lavender Hill Mob. The Eiffel Tower scheme was dreamed up by no less than a Bank of England official. While writing the script, Clarke had cheekily asked the official the best method of stealing a million pounds' worth of gold bullion. And the official suggested melting down the gold and fashioning it into souvenirs. One of the pleasures of The Lavender Hill Mob is spotting the familiar faces of players who would become some of the most beloved character actors in British films.

Sid James, who would become known for the Carry On films, plays one of the robbers (he's billed here as "Sidney James"). Peter Bull (Tom Jones, 1963), John Gregson (Genevieve, 1953), and James Fox (The Servant, 1963) are among those playing small roles. Pay close attention to the sequence at the beginning of the film set in South America; it features a girl selling cigarettes and she has one line. Yes, that's a very young Audrey Hepburn. The Lavender Hill Mob was a worldwide hit, and became one of Ealing's most successful films. It earned Alec Guinness his first Academy Award nomination, and won Tibby Clarke an Oscar for his screenplay. Even today, when the drab postwar England portrayed in the film seems as quaint and far away as the Victorian era, the comedy of The Lavender Hill Mob still retains its charm. Producer: Michael Balcon

Question: Which Ealing comedy featured Alec Guinness, Alfie Bass, Sid James and Stanley Holloway as a gang of crooks?
Answer: The Lavender Hill Mob